The First Omen

The First Omen
Directed by	Arkasha Stevenson
Screenplay by	Tim Smith Arkasha Stevenson Keith Thomas
Story by	Ben Jacoby
Based on	Characters by David Seltzer
Produced by	David S. Goyer Keith Levine
Starring	Nell Tiger Free Tawfeek Barhom Sônia Braga Ralph Ineson Bill Nighy
Cinematography	Aaron Morton
Edited by	Bob Murawski Amy E. Duddleston
Music by	Mark Korven
Production company	Phantom Four
Distributed by	20th Century Studios
Release date	April 5, 2024 (2024-04-05)
Running time	119 minutes
Language	English
Country	United States
Budget	$30 million

The First Omen is a 2024 American supernatural horror film directed by Arkasha Stevenson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Tim Smith and Keith Thomas from a story by Ben Jacoby. It is a prequel to The Omen (1976), being the sixth film in The Omen franchise. The film stars Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Bill Nighy. The plot follows an American woman sent to work at a church in Rome who uncovers a sinister conspiracy to bring about the birth of the Antichrist.

The First Omen was theatrically released in the United States by 20th Century Studios on April 5, 2024. The film received generally positive reviews from critics.

Plot

Father Brennan presses Father Harris about a photo of a baby, "Scianna", but Harris is unable to speak of it. He mentions it was an unnatural birth. On the church steps, a construction accident ensues and a pipe falls, cleaving a portion of Harris's skull off. He is left with a bloody grimace.

In Rome 1971 amidst civil rights protests, American novitiate Margaret Daino arrives at Vizzardeli Orphanage to take her vows. There, she meets five people: young artist Carlita, eccentric roommate Luz, odd-mannered Anjelica, Cardinal Lawrence and Sister Silvia, the Abbess. Carlita shows Margaret a drawing of figures restraining a woman onto a bed. Later, Margaret and Luz attend a dance club, where Margaret dances with a boy named Paolo then blacks-out, her memory faded. At the orphanage, she witnesses a woman giving birth, where a demonic hand sprawls out of her birth canal; she blacks-out again.

Margaret quickly forms a bond with Carlita, noticing her active mistreatment from the nuns, including locking her in an isolated room and keeping her away from others. She mentions to Carlita she was similar during her childhood, having vivid auditory and visual hallucinations. Later, Father Brennan meets with Margaret and says to not trust anyone at Vizzardeli and to stay away from Carlita. Margaret spots Anjelica with Carlita and is shown a drawing of a pregnant woman being restrained. Shortly after, Anjelica, doused in gasoline atop the abbey, says, "It's all for you" then self-immolates and hangs herself. Margaret confides in Brennan, who says Carlita is the antichrist and the church has been curating one for years and shows Harris's photo for proof. She refuses to believe it but accepts to get Carlita's files for him.

Margaret questions Father Gabriel if anything is known about Carlita, but he dismisses it. The orphanage attends an art museum and Margaret attempts to pry Carlita about her past to no avail. A riot from protestors ensues and as they leave, Margaret is caught amidst the chaos. She witnesses hallucinations of the demon before grabbing her, which is seen by Sister Silvia, despite nothing being there. Silvia then forces Margaret to leave the orphanage and denies her vows. During the drive, Margaret spots Paolo and begs to know what happened. Paolo is horrified by her, stating, "Look for the mark", then is hit by an oncoming truck and impaled against a wall. Margaret attempts to save him but accidentally splits him in two.

Margaret slips out as Luz takes her vows, sneaking off into the building's basement to find the files. She discovers fourteen subject files, each brandished with a 666 mark, all named "Scianna" and disfigured, save for one. She rushes off with the files and Carlita before the nuns ambush and restrain her. Margaret notices the mark on the roof of Carlita's mouth. At night, Father Gabriel unlocks the door and saves her, revealing his solidarity with Brennan.

Margaret notices Carlita doesn't bare the 666 mark on her head despite it being in Brennan's photo. All three examine the files and Margaret links the photo to a file, figuring out she is the baby, not Carlita. A hallucination shows her being impregnated by the prior demonic entity. Terrified of what's in her, she demands an abortion. On the way, their car crashes but Margaret is unaffected. She convulses violently, her water breaks, her womb suddenly fills, and she passes out.

She awakens strapped down, where Lawrence reveals he's planned this for years. All individuals from Vizzardeli are present. She gives birth to two children, a boy and a girl. The boy is heralded as the antichrist. Margaret asks to hold it and stabs Lawrence in the throat, then almost kills her baby before the members take him. The building is set ablaze, but Carlita saves Margaret and the girl. Margaret has a vision of her assaulter, the demonic jackal, burning. The members of Vizzardeli organize a secret adoption, in which the boy is given to American diplomat Robert Thorn to secretly replace the dead unborn child of his wife's supposed miscarriage.

Years later, Margaret, Carlita and the girl have become a happy, secluded family. Brennan arrives to warn Margaret of Vizzardeli, knowing she is still alive, and says the boy has a name now: Damien.

Cast

• Nell Tiger Free as Margaret Daino, an American sent to Rome to work at an orphanage before taking the veil
• Sônia Braga as Sister Silvia, the Abbess of Vizzardeli Orphanage in Rome
• Ralph Ineson as Father Brennan, a priest who warns Margaret of a conspiracy within the church
• Bill Nighy as Cardinal Lawrence, a senior member of the Catholic church
• Tawfeek Barhom as Father Gabriel, a member of the Catholic clergy working at the orphanage
• Maria Caballero as Luz Valez, Margaret's roommate at Vizzardeli
• Nicole Sorace as Carlita Skianna, an older child at Vizzardeli
• Ishtar Currie Wilson as Sister Anjelica, a disturbed nun at Vizzardeli
• Andrea Arcangeli as Paolo, a man who encounters Margaret
• Charles Dance as Father Harris

Production

In April 2016, a prequel to The Omen (1976) was announced to be in the works, with Ben Jacoby writing the script and Antonio Campos in talks to direct. By May 2022, 20th Century Studios began developing it, with Arkasha Stevenson signing on in her feature directorial debut. David S. Goyer and Keith Levine produced under the Phantom Four Films label. Nell Tiger Free was cast in the lead role in late August 2022. On January 3, 2024, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Bill Nighy were announced to star in the film.

Principal photography took place on location in Rome and on soundstages at Lumina Studios from September 19 to November 22, 2022. Buildings in Villa Parisi and a farm in Procoio was used to portray the orphanage. Production designer Eve Stewart stated, "We wanted it to be a very unique and beautiful building, and since we couldn't find everything within one building, we put three buildings together and made sure that they all linked well with one another". The basement was created on the soundstage.

Costume designer Paco Delgado wanted the costumes to have a gothic feeling. He designed light clothing that moves with the wind so it would match Stevenson's vision of "the figures sort of floating through the hallways". The girls at the orphanage were dressed in 1940s/1950s costumes, even though the film takes place in the 1970s; the crew wanted a "specific ambience". For Margaret's look, Delgado was inspired with Yves Saint Laurent fashion of the 1970s. Adrien Morot served as prosthetic and creature designer.

Release

A specific shot in the birthing sequence resulted in the Motion Picture Association registering the film with an NC-17 rating classification. Producer Keith Levine said, "We had to go back and forth with the ratings board five times. Weirdly, avoiding the NC-17 made it more intense". David S. Goyer commented that, "The movie, by its nature, deals with female body horror, and I do think there's a double standard. That was really interesting when we were negotiating with the ratings board. I think there is more permissiveness when dealing with male protagonists, particularly in body horror".

The First Omen was theatrically released by 20th Century Studios on April 5, 2024.

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, The First Omen was released alongside Monkey Man, and is projected to gross $14–15 million in its opening weekend.

Critical response

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 78% of 6.9 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 80/10. On the website, the critics' consensus reads, "Frequently frightening even as it plays within the confines of a nearly 50-year-old film series, this prequel is The First Omen of a bright future for the franchise in quite some time." Using a weighted average calculator, Metacritic assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Kyle Turner of Slant Magazine gave it 3/4 stars, writing, "Throughout the film, Stevenson slides easily between earthly delights and disgusts, wedding them together through viscera and audacious aesthetics. In The First Omen, Stevenson atomizes all the darkness and the light within ourselves." The Guardian's Benjamin Lee gave it 3/5 stars, calling it "far more artful and striking than it has any right to be, thanks in overwhelmingly large part to the TV director Arkasha Stevenson, whose bravado works incredibly well until it really doesn't, when she's forced to play by franchise rules rather than her own."

External links

• Official website
• The First Omen at IMDb

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